Verbum Search through Tip of the Day #5

Tip 5: Interesting cases of Biblical personal name Search Part 2

Please be generous with your additional details, corrections, suggestions, and other feedback. This is being built in a .docx file for a PBB which will be shared periodically.

Previous post: Tip 4 Next post: Tip 6

This tip will consider another type of personal names that cause problems for a Basic text argument Bible personal name Search:

[See Tip 4] When a person’s name is also a common word i.e. used both as a proper noun and a common word, the text search cannot accurately select the person’s name: an example, “Job” and the employment “job”.
When a person’s name changes in their lifetime: an example, Abram, Abraham
When multiple people share a name: an example, Mary, Mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene; Mary of Bethany; Mary, mother of John Mark . . .
When a person has a compound name, each part of which is independently the name of other people: an example, John Mark
When a supernatural person was unknown when early scripture was written: an example, Holy Spirit.

Use of the logical operator OR:

When a person’s name changes, one must search on each name and combine the results. While there are ways to save the results from separate searches and combined the results, that approach is a very advanced use of Verbum. Just as Google allows the entry of more than one term, the Verbum search takes multiple arguments. We have two similar, but non-identical, ways of looking for two names. The example is Abram and Abraham using “OR” as a logical operator between the two terms. Note that the logical operator is in capital letters.

Run the search:

Note the results include pericope headings. Change the text searched from “All Text” to “Bible Text”. The new search returns the intended results. It finds 345 results in 135 articles (pericopes).

Scrolling to the point where Abram’s name is changed, one notes that one term (Abram) is highlighted in orange while the second term (Abraham) is highlighted in blue. Each term is highlighted in it’s own color; the user has no control over the colors.

The same distinction between terms by use of highlighting color occurs in the NRSV as long as the Search is open.

Navigation from results

The standard behavior holds:

Mouse over the pericope title shows a preview that starts at the pericope title.

Note the position of the cursor (hand).
Clicking on the pericope opens/positions the resource at the start of the pericope.
Mouse over a highlighted result shows a preview that starts at that result.
Clicking on a highlighted result opens/positions the resource near that result There is a flashing
orange circle to draw your attention to the precise word while the panel loads.

Use of the list with a comma operator

Another way to get the “or” relationship is through a list where the terms are separated by commas. It is best to start thinking of lists as enclosed by parentheses – whether or not they are actually included. This means that “Abram, Abraham” will process as it if were “(Abram, Abraham)”. However, we are not yet into the complex search arguments that require parentheses.

Note that the result counts are the same as for the “Abram OR Abraham” search but the list took longer to process.

Advanced warning:

Please note: Some people get confused as they equate the list with the OR command. They are not the same, even though in a very basic search they will perform in the same way. Remember, Logos iterates through lists, then ORs the results.[1]

[1] User maintained Wiki: https://wiki.logos.com/Detailed_Search_Help#Simple_Search_Syntax

Find more posts tagged with

Desktop App

Comments

Beloved Amodeo

Excellent review MJ.

I'm sure you're aware that because Logos has tagged the specific instances of the names you have referenced one can get complete results for all of them by selecting the desired name from the drop down lists. I'm sorry if I state the obvious, but I think it necessary for the benefit of the true beginner using the software. I supply an example for completeness.

MJ. Smith

Beloved Amodeo, thanks for the feedback. The datatype method is covered in the next tip - even using Mary as an example.

While I have reasons for presenting material when I do, I appreciate you and KS4J chiming in with the points you think should be covered.

Logos has tagged the specific instances of the names

A minor correction, Logos has tagged the references to the person rather than references to the name.

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

Note that the result counts are the same as for the “Abram OR Abraham” search but the list took longer to process.

Basic Searches for "Abram OR Abraham" and "Abram, Abraham" had the same elapsed time in my demonstration account of 0.03 seconds.

Replicated search result highlighting difference for Abraham. Noticed 372 search result count differs from 342 while having the same 135 articles.

Keep Smiling [:)]

MJ. Smith

Basic Searches for "Abram OR Abraham" and "Abram, Abraham" had the same elapsed time in my demonstration account of 0.03 seconds.

I would expect the results to be dependent upon the resources searched as well as the results found. I note that my Search was limited to Bible text to omit references in the pericope titles. Your search includes them. I don't know the effect this has on the times.

NB.Mick

Noticed 372 search result count differs from 342 while having the same 135 articles.

Hm. I don't see 342 in your screenshot, both panes read 372 in 135 articles to me.

The various numbers of hits one can get come from different permutations of the search parameters - 372 requires "match equivalent references" and "match all word forms" to be turned on, otherwise it's in the 340s

Graham Criddle

Hm. I don't see 342 in your screenshot, both panes read 372 in 135 articles to me.

I think he is referring to the fact that MJ's search returns 345 results.

The various numbers of hits one can get come from different permutations of the search parameters - 372 requires "match equivalent references" and "match all word forms" to be turned on, otherwise it's in the 340s

As MJ points out, the difference in count is due to specifying Bible Text in the search parameters or not.

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

I note that my Search was limited to Bible text to omit references in the pericope titles. Your search includes them. I don't know the effect this has on the times.

Replicated Bible Text search changing results to 345 while showing the same time (longer) on my iMac for both searches.

For grins, changed search to Surface Text followed by running comma search followed by OR search, which replicated comma search taking longer.

Web Apps currently do not have search text selection option so learned field syntax:

Caveat: Web App search shows 345 results for Bible, Surface, and All text while Desktop finds 345 for Bible, 362 for Surface, and 372 for All (with Match All Words and Match Equivalent References enabled). Screen shots of desktop search do not show three search choices in three dot menu (so still desiring & dreaming of Search Tab modification to show them, possibly similar to Link Set).

Keep Smiling [:)]

Beloved Amodeo

MJ.

Tough question for you using your logical operator method. How would you deal with this thorny issue, with regards to a name change which later came to be associated with a people? Mind you we are only interested in the results for the name of the individual. Jacob OR Israel.